


Fragmented Truths

by LightOfTheLucii



Category: Tales of Xillia
Genre: M/M, spoilers will be noted
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-18
Updated: 2015-04-18
Packaged: 2018-03-23 14:54:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3772480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightOfTheLucii/pseuds/LightOfTheLucii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Taken from Livejournal's 500 themes challenge.  Spoilers will be noted.  Multiple ships/characters will be added when updated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fragmented Truths

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for the Julius ending.

It's a dream.

It has to be.

Rather, it's a nightmare.

But either way, it's not real despite seeming so.

The sea breeze of Marksburg ruffles his hair. It's near sunset, and otherwise he might have taken a moment to appreciate it. Not now. Not with Julius' life on the line, not with Elle with Bakur already in Canaan.

Time is running out.

He jumps in between his brother and his friends - Jude's eyes widen - and before he knows what he's doing, he's got his blades out, determined to protect Julius no matter what the cost.

 

It costs him dearly.

 

Leia is the first to fall, then Rowen.  He can't allow himself to think about any of the time he spent; fighting and laughing and simply working together with these people.  He tells himself it's better this way, he can't and won't lose Julius now.  He needs Julius.  He's his brother.  Family.

 

Elize goes, Teepo crashing with a wail to the ground.  He can feel the sweat between his shoulder blades, but he can't stop now.  He won't.  He knows he can win, Victor taught him that.  They are strong, but the will of a brother to protect the other means they can't touch him.

 

Alvin.  Muzet.  Milla.  Even Gaius.  They don't matter now.

Until only Jude is left.

 

And he falters.

 

Julius is his brother, but Jude is his lover.  He pauses, panting for breath.  Jude's stance doesn't change, his fists raised.  Jude is watching him, those beautiful eyes of his large and full of sorrow.  He knows he can't win, he just has to.  Ludger has killed everyone else he loves, but there's no need for Jude to die too...right?  

 

_It's a warm day in Trigelph.  He's sitting next to Jude, both of them tired after a hard day's training._

_Jude's smile is warm, and his bright gaze fills Ludger with an unexpected hopefulness._

_That night is when Jude kisses him for the first time._

 

 

_Jude's hand in warm in his, his eyes full of sympathy._

_"It must be tough," he say quietly._

_Ludger agrees, there is a sense of things moving too quickly now and he doesn't like it._

_Jude gently pulls him closer._

_Ludger can forget his woes for a little time._

 

 

_Jude is asleep in his arms, snoring softly._

_Despite his worries, he has this at least._

_"I love you," he says, he doesn't dare repeat it when Jude's awake._

 

 

_"You're not Victor," Jude says, eyes intent as he heals Ludger's burnt hand._

_"Elle doesn't mean it.  She'll come around."_

_Ludger just nods, unable to share his secret thoughts._

_But what if..._

 

A foolish hope.

 

Jude is the hardest and yet easiest to kill.  He clings to Ludger as Ludger slices through him, and he doesn't even try to heal himself.  There's blood everywhere.  

He smiles weakly up at Ludger, as if even this betrayal hasn't changed anything.

"I love you," he mouths weakly, a final shuddering sigh and he's gone.

Ludger wishes he didn't.

He hates himself, he hates that Jude understood even if it cost him his life.

Yet he has Julius.  Alive.

So it is worth it, in the end.  

 

 

So he has to keep telling himself, to keep the screams at bay.


End file.
